RESUMO
Metabolic adaptation is essential for cell survival during nutrient deprivation. We report that eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K), which is activated by AMP-kinase (AMPK), confers cell survival under acute nutrient depletion by blocking translation elongation. Tumor cells exploit this pathway to adapt to nutrient deprivation by reactivating the AMPK-eEF2K axis. Adaptation of transformed cells to nutrient withdrawal is severely compromised in cells lacking eEF2K. Moreover, eEF2K knockdown restored sensitivity to acute nutrient deprivation in highly resistant human tumor cell lines. In vivo, overexpression of eEF2K rendered murine tumors remarkably resistant to caloric restriction. Expression of eEF2K strongly correlated with overall survival in human medulloblastoma and glioblastoma multiforme. Finally, C. elegans strains deficient in efk-1, the eEF2K ortholog, were severely compromised in their response to nutrient depletion. Our data highlight a conserved role for eEF2K in protecting cells from nutrient deprivation and in conferring tumor cell adaptation to metabolic stress. PAPERCLIP:
Assuntos
Caenorhabditis elegans/metabolismo , Quinase do Fator 2 de Elongação/metabolismo , Neoplasias/fisiopatologia , Elongação Traducional da Cadeia Peptídica , Transdução de Sinais , Proteínas Quinases Ativadas por AMP/metabolismo , Animais , Neoplasias Encefálicas/fisiopatologia , Caenorhabditis elegans/genética , Sobrevivência Celular , Transformação Celular Neoplásica , Quinase do Fator 2 de Elongação/genética , Privação de Alimentos , Glioblastoma/fisiopatologia , Células HeLa , Humanos , Camundongos , Camundongos Nus , Células NIH 3T3 , Transplante de Neoplasias , Fator 2 de Elongação de Peptídeos/metabolismo , Transplante HeterólogoRESUMO
PURPOSE: Brain metastases represent the most common intracranial tumors in adults and are associated with a poor prognosis. We used a personalized in vitro drug screening approach to characterize individual therapeutic vulnerabilities in brain metastases. METHODS: Short-term cultures of cancer cells isolated from brain metastasis patients were molecularly characterized using next-generation sequencing and functionally evaluated using high-throughput in vitro drug screening to characterize pharmacological treatment sensitivities. RESULTS: Next-generation sequencing identified matched genetic alterations in brain metastasis tissue samples and corresponding short-term cultures, suggesting that short-term cultures of brain metastases are suitable models for recapitulating the genetic profile of brain metastases that may determine their sensitivity to anti-cancer drugs. Employing a high-throughput in vitro drug screening platform, we successfully screened the cultures of five brain metastases for response to 267 anticancer compounds and related drug response to genetic data. Among others, we found that targeted treatment with JAK3, HER2, or FGFR3 inhibitors showed anti-cancer effects in individual brain metastasis cultures. CONCLUSION: Our preclinical study provides a proof-of-concept for combining molecular profiling with in vitro drug screening for predictive evaluation of therapeutic vulnerabilities in brain metastasis patients. This approach could advance the use of patient-derived cancer cells in clinical practice and might eventually facilitate decision-making for personalized drug treatment.
Assuntos
Antineoplásicos , Neoplasias Encefálicas , Humanos , Neoplasias Encefálicas/tratamento farmacológico , Neoplasias Encefálicas/secundário , Neoplasias Encefálicas/patologia , Neoplasias Encefálicas/genética , Antineoplásicos/farmacologia , Antineoplásicos/uso terapêutico , Células Tumorais Cultivadas , Ensaios de Seleção de Medicamentos Antitumorais/métodos , Sequenciamento de Nucleotídeos em Larga Escala , Feminino , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Ensaios de Triagem em Larga Escala/métodosRESUMO
Pilocytic astrocytoma (PA), the most common pediatric brain tumor, is driven by aberrant mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling most commonly caused by BRAF gene fusions or activating mutations. While 5-year overall survival rates exceed 95%, tumor recurrence or progression constitutes a major clinical challenge in incompletely resected tumors. Here, we used similarity network fusion (SNF) analysis in an integrative multi-omics approach employing RNA transcriptomic and mass spectrometry-based proteomic profiling to molecularly characterize PA tissue samples from 62 patients. Thereby, we uncovered that PAs segregated into two molecularly distinct groups, namely, Group 1 and Group 2, which were validated in three non-overlapping cohorts. Patients with Group 1 tumors were significantly younger and showed worse progression-free survival compared to patients with group 2 tumors. Ingenuity pathways analysis (IPA) and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed that Group 1 tumors were enriched for immune response pathways, such as interferon signaling, while Group 2 tumors showed enrichment for action potential and neurotransmitter signaling pathways. Analysis of immune cell-related gene signatures showed an enrichment of infiltrating T Cells in Group 1 versus Group 2 tumors. Taken together, integrative multi-omics of PA identified biologically distinct and prognostically relevant tumor groups that may improve risk stratification of this single pathway driven tumor type.
Assuntos
Astrocitoma , Neoplasias Encefálicas , Criança , Humanos , Multiômica , Proteômica , Astrocitoma/genética , Neoplasias Encefálicas/genética , Potenciais de AçãoRESUMO
PURPOSE: Primary brain tumors are a leading cause of cancer-related death in children, and medulloblastoma is the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor. The current molecular characterization of medulloblastoma is mainly based on protein-coding genes, while little is known about the involvement of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). This study aimed to elucidate the role of the lncRNA OTX2-AS1 in medulloblastoma. METHODS: Analyses of DNA copy number alterations, methylation profiles, and gene expression data were used to characterize molecular alterations of OTX2-AS1 in medulloblastoma tissue samples. In vitro analyses of medulloblastoma cell models and orthotopic in vivo experiments were carried out for functional characterization of OTX2-AS1. High-throughput drug screening was employed to identify pharmacological inhibitors, while proteomics and metabolomics analyses were performed to address potential mechanisms of drug action. RESULTS: We detected amplification and consecutive overexpression of OTX2 and OTX2-AS1 in a subset of medulloblastomas. In addition, OTX2-AS1 promoter methylation was linked to OTX2-AS1 expression. OTX2-AS1 knockout reduced medulloblastoma cell viability and cell migration in vitro and prolonged survival in the D283 orthotopic medulloblastoma mouse xenograft model. Pharmacological inhibition of BCL-2 suppressed the growth of OTX2-AS1 overexpressing medulloblastoma cells in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed a pro-tumorigenic role of OTX2-AS1 in medulloblastoma and identified BCL-2 inhibition as a potential therapeutic approach to target OTX2-AS1 overexpressing medulloblastoma cells.
Assuntos
Neoplasias Encefálicas , Neoplasias Cerebelares , Meduloblastoma , RNA Longo não Codificante , Animais , Criança , Humanos , Camundongos , Neoplasias Encefálicas/patologia , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células , Neoplasias Cerebelares/tratamento farmacológico , Neoplasias Cerebelares/genética , Neoplasias Cerebelares/metabolismo , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Meduloblastoma/patologia , Fatores de Transcrição Otx/genética , Fatores de Transcrição Otx/metabolismo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-bcl-2/metabolismo , RNA Longo não Codificante/genéticaRESUMO
The RAS family of proto-oncogenes are among the most commonly mutated genes in human cancers and predict poor clinical outcome. Several mechanisms underlying oncogenic RAS transformation are well documented, including constitutive signaling through the RAF-MEK-ERK proproliferative pathway as well as the PI3K-AKT prosurvival pathway. Notably, control of redox balance has also been proposed to contribute to RAS transformation. However, how homeostasis between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidants, which have opposing effects in the cell, ultimately influence RAS-mediated transformation and tumor progression is still a matter of debate and the mechanisms involved have not been fully elucidated. Here, we show that oncogenic KRAS protects fibroblasts from oxidative stress by enhancing intracellular GSH levels. Using a whole transcriptome approach, we discovered that this is attributable to transcriptional up-regulation of xCT, the gene encoding the cystine/glutamate antiporter. This is in line with the function of xCT, which mediates the uptake of cystine, a precursor for GSH biosynthesis. Moreover, our results reveal that the ETS-1 transcription factor downstream of the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK signaling cascade directly transactivates the xCT promoter in synergy with the ATF4 endoplasmic reticulum stress-associated transcription factor. Strikingly, xCT was found to be essential for oncogenic KRAS-mediated transformation in vitro and in vivo by mitigating oxidative stress, as knockdown of xCT strongly impaired growth of tumor xenografts established from KRAS-transformed cells. Overall, this study uncovers a mechanism by which oncogenic RAS preserves intracellular redox balance and identifies an unexpected role for xCT in supporting RAS-induced transformation and tumorigenicity.
Assuntos
Sistema y+ de Transporte de Aminoácidos/biossíntese , Transformação Celular Neoplásica/metabolismo , Sistema de Sinalização das MAP Quinases , Neoplasias Experimentais/metabolismo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas p21(ras)/metabolismo , Sistema y+ de Transporte de Aminoácidos/genética , Animais , Transformação Celular Neoplásica/genética , Transformação Celular Neoplásica/patologia , Estresse do Retículo Endoplasmático , Feminino , Fibroblastos/metabolismo , Fibroblastos/patologia , Camundongos , Camundongos Knockout , Camundongos Nus , Células NIH 3T3 , Neoplasias Experimentais/genética , Neoplasias Experimentais/patologia , Oxirredução , Estresse Oxidativo , Proteína Proto-Oncogênica c-ets-1/genética , Proteína Proto-Oncogênica c-ets-1/metabolismo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas p21(ras)/genéticaRESUMO
Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain cancer in children. Since previous studies have mainly focused on alterations in the coding genome, our understanding of the contribution of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) to medulloblastoma biology is just emerging. Using patient-derived data, we show that the promoter of lncRNA TP73-AS1 is hypomethylated and that the transcript is highly expressed in the SHH subgroup. Furthermore, high expression of TP73-AS1 is correlated with poor outcome in patients with TP53 wild-type SHH tumors. Silencing TP73-AS1 in medulloblastoma tumor cells induced apoptosis, while proliferation and migration were inhibited in culture. In vivo, silencing TP73-AS1 in medulloblastoma tumor cells resulted in reduced tumor growth, reduced proliferation of tumor cells, increased apoptosis and led to prolonged survival of tumor-bearing mice. Together, our study suggests that the lncRNA TP73-AS1 is a prognostic marker and therapeutic target in medulloblastoma tumors and serves as a proof of concept that lncRNAs are important factors in the disease.
Assuntos
Neoplasias Cerebelares/genética , Meduloblastoma/genética , RNA Longo não Codificante/genética , Animais , Apoptose/genética , Biomarcadores Tumorais/genética , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Humanos , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos NOD , Camundongos SCID , Transdução de Sinais/genética , Regulação para Cima/genéticaRESUMO
Oxidative stress plays a key role in late onset diseases including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington disease. Therefore, uncovering regulators of the antioxidant stress responses is important for understanding the course of these diseases. Indeed, the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), a master regulator of the cellular antioxidative stress response, is deregulated in both cancer and neurodegeneration. Similar to NRF2, the tumor suppressor Homologous to the E6-AP Carboxyl Terminus (HECT) domain and Ankyrin repeat containing E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase 1 (HACE1) plays a protective role against stress-induced tumorigenesis in mice, but its roles in the antioxidative stress response or its involvement in neurodegeneration have not been investigated. To this end we examined Hace1 WT and KO mice and found that Hace1 KO animals exhibited increased oxidative stress in brain and that the antioxidative stress response was impaired. Moreover, HACE1 was found to be essential for optimal NRF2 activation in cells challenged with oxidative stress, as HACE1 depletion resulted in reduced NRF2 activity, stability, and protein synthesis, leading to lower tolerance against oxidative stress triggers. Strikingly, we found a reduction of HACE1 levels in the striatum of Huntington disease patients, implicating HACE1 in the pathology of Huntington disease. Moreover, ectopic expression of HACE1 in striatal neuronal progenitor cells provided protection against mutant Huntingtin-induced redox imbalance and hypersensitivity to oxidative stress, by augmenting NRF2 functions. These findings reveal that the tumor suppressor HACE1 plays a role in the NRF2 antioxidative stress response pathway and in neurodegeneration.
Assuntos
Doença de Huntington/metabolismo , Fator 2 Relacionado a NF-E2/metabolismo , Estresse Oxidativo/fisiologia , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligases/metabolismo , Animais , Western Blotting , Fracionamento Celular , Corpo Estriado/metabolismo , Primers do DNA/genética , Imunofluorescência , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Proteína Huntingtina , Camundongos , Proteínas do Tecido Nervoso/metabolismo , Espécies Reativas de Oxigênio/metabolismo , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase em Tempo RealRESUMO
Tumor cells are continually subjected to diverse stress conditions of the tumor microenvironment, including hypoxia, nutrient deprivation, and oxidative or genotoxic stress. Tumor cells must evolve adaptive mechanisms to survive these conditions to ultimately drive tumor progression. Tight control of mRNA translation is critical for this response and the adaptation of tumor cells to such stress forms. This proceeds though a translational reprogramming process which restrains overall translation activity to preserve energy and nutrients, but which also stimulates the selective synthesis of major stress adaptor proteins. Here we present the different regulatory signaling pathways which coordinate mRNA translation in the response to different stress forms, including those regulating eIF2α, mTORC1 and eEF2K, and we explain how tumor cells hijack these pathways for survival under stress. Finally, mechanisms for selective mRNA translation under stress, including the utilization of upstream open reading frames (uORFs) and internal ribosome entry sites (IRESes) are discussed in the context of cell stress. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Translation and Cancer.
Assuntos
Dano ao DNA , Proteínas de Neoplasias/metabolismo , Neoplasias/metabolismo , Biossíntese de Proteínas , Animais , Fator de Iniciação 2 em Eucariotos/genética , Fator de Iniciação 2 em Eucariotos/metabolismo , Humanos , Alvo Mecanístico do Complexo 1 de Rapamicina , Complexos Multiproteicos/genética , Complexos Multiproteicos/metabolismo , Proteínas de Neoplasias/genética , Neoplasias/genética , Neoplasias/patologia , RNA Mensageiro/genética , RNA Mensageiro/metabolismo , RNA Neoplásico/genética , RNA Neoplásico/metabolismo , Serina-Treonina Quinases TOR/genética , Serina-Treonina Quinases TOR/metabolismoRESUMO
Oncogene activation leads to cellular transformation by deregulation of biological processes such as proliferation and metabolism. Paradoxically, this can also sensitize cells to nutrient deprivation, potentially representing an Achilles' heel in early stage tumors. The mechanisms underlying this phenotype include loss of energetic and redox homeostasis as a result of metabolic reprogramming, favoring synthesis of macromolecules. Moreover, an emerging mechanism involving the deregulation of mRNA translation elongation through inhibition of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K) is presented. The potential consequences of eEF2K deregulation leading to cell death under nutrient depletion are discussed. Finally, the relevance of eEF2K as a master regulator of the response to nutrient deprivation in vivo, and its potential exploitation for therapeutic targeting of cancers, are elaborated. Overall, a better understanding of the adaptive mechanisms allowing tumors to circumvent oncogene-induced hypersensitivity to nutrient deprivation is a promising avenue for uncovering novel therapeutic targets in cancers.
Assuntos
Quinase do Fator 2 de Elongação/metabolismo , Metabolismo Energético/genética , Neoplasias/genética , Oncogenes/genética , Elongação Traducional da Cadeia Peptídica/genética , Apoptose/genética , Proliferação de Células , Transformação Celular Neoplásica/genética , Quinase do Fator 2 de Elongação/antagonistas & inibidores , MAP Quinases Reguladas por Sinal Extracelular/metabolismo , Humanos , MAP Quinase Quinase Quinases/metabolismo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas/metabolismo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas p21(ras) , Proteínas Quinases S6 Ribossômicas 90-kDa/metabolismo , Proteínas ras/metabolismoRESUMO
The ETV6-NTRK3 (EN) chimeric oncogene is expressed in diverse tumor types. EN is generated by a t(12;15) translocation, which fuses the N-terminal SAM (sterile α-motif) domain of the ETV6 (or TEL) transcription factor to the C-terminal PTK (protein-tyrosine kinase) domain of the neurotrophin-3 receptor NTRK3. SAM domain-mediated polymerization of EN leads to constitutive activation of the PTK domain and constitutive signaling of the Ras-MAPK and PI3K-Akt pathways, which are essential for EN oncogenesis. Here we show through complementary biophysical and cellular biological techniques that mutation of Lys-99, which participates in a salt bridge at the SAM polymer interface, reduces self-association of the isolated SAM domain as well as high molecular mass complex formation of EN and abrogates the transformation activity of EN. We also show that mutation of Asp-101, the intermolecular salt bridge partner of Lys-99, similarly blocks transformation of NIH3T3 cells by EN, reduces EN tyrosine phosphorylation, inhibits Akt and Mek1/2 signaling downstream of EN, and abolishes tumor formation in nude mice. In contrast, mutations of Glu-100 and Arg-103, residues in the vicinity of the interdomain Lys-99-Asp-101 salt bridge, have little or no effect on these oncogenic characteristics of EN. Our results underscore the importance of specific electrostatic interactions for SAM polymerization and EN transformation.
Assuntos
Mutação , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-ets/química , Receptor trkC/química , Proteínas Repressoras/química , Animais , Calorimetria , Transformação Celular Neoplásica , Humanos , Lisina/química , Espectroscopia de Ressonância Magnética , Camundongos , Camundongos Nus , Células NIH 3T3 , Polímeros/química , Estrutura Terciária de Proteína , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-ets/genética , Receptor trkC/genética , Proteínas Repressoras/genética , Sais/química , Transdução de Sinais , Eletricidade Estática , Tirosina/química , Variante 6 da Proteína do Fator de Translocação ETSRESUMO
Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) kinase (eEF2K) is a stress-responsive hub that inhibits the translation elongation factor eEF2, and consequently mRNA translation elongation, in response to hypoxia and nutrient deprivation. EEF2K is also involved in the response to DNA damage but its role in response to DNA crosslinks, as induced by cisplatin, is not known. Here we found that eEF2K is critical to mediate the cellular response to cisplatin. We uncovered that eEF2K deficient cells are more resistant to cisplatin treatment. Mechanistically, eEF2K deficiency blunts the activation of the DNA damage response associated ATM and ATR pathways, in turn preventing p53 activation and therefore compromising induction of cisplatin-induced apoptosis. We also report that loss of eEF2K delays the resolution of DNA damage triggered by cisplatin, suggesting that eEF2K contributes to DNA damage repair in response to cisplatin. In support of this, our data shows that eEF2K promotes the expression of the DNA repair protein ERCC1, critical for the repair of cisplatin-caused DNA damage. Finally, using Caenorhabditis elegans as an in vivo model, we find that deletion of efk-1, the worm eEF2K ortholog, mitigates the induction of germ cell death in response to cisplatin. Together, our data highlight that eEF2K represents an evolutionary conserved mediator of the DNA damage response to cisplatin which promotes p53 activation to induce cell death, or alternatively facilitates DNA repair, depending on the extent of DNA damage.
Assuntos
Caenorhabditis elegans , Cisplatino , Dano ao DNA , Quinase do Fator 2 de Elongação , Proteína Supressora de Tumor p53 , Cisplatino/farmacologia , Proteína Supressora de Tumor p53/metabolismo , Proteína Supressora de Tumor p53/genética , Quinase do Fator 2 de Elongação/metabolismo , Quinase do Fator 2 de Elongação/genética , Animais , Caenorhabditis elegans/efeitos dos fármacos , Caenorhabditis elegans/genética , Caenorhabditis elegans/metabolismo , Humanos , Reparo do DNA/efeitos dos fármacos , Proteínas Mutadas de Ataxia Telangiectasia/metabolismo , Apoptose/efeitos dos fármacosRESUMO
Energetic stress compels cells to evolve adaptive mechanisms to adjust their metabolism. Inhibition of mTOR kinase complex 1 (mTORC1) is essential for cell survival during glucose starvation. How mTORC1 controls cell viability during glucose starvation is not well understood. Here we show that the mTORC1 effectors eukaryotic initiation factor 4E binding proteins 1/2 (4EBP1/2) confer protection to mammalian cells and budding yeast under glucose starvation. Mechanistically, 4EBP1/2 promote NADPH homeostasis by preventing NADPH-consuming fatty acid synthesis via translational repression of Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase 1 (ACC1), thereby mitigating oxidative stress. This has important relevance for cancer, as oncogene-transformed cells and glioma cells exploit the 4EBP1/2 regulation of ACC1 expression and redox balance to combat energetic stress, thereby supporting transformation and tumorigenicity in vitro and in vivo. Clinically, high EIF4EBP1 expression is associated with poor outcomes in several cancer types. Our data reveal that the mTORC1-4EBP1/2 axis provokes a metabolic switch essential for survival during glucose starvation which is exploited by transformed and tumor cells.
Assuntos
Acetil-CoA Carboxilase , Proteínas Adaptadoras de Transdução de Sinal , Proteínas de Ciclo Celular , Sobrevivência Celular , Ácidos Graxos , Glucose , Alvo Mecanístico do Complexo 1 de Rapamicina , Animais , Humanos , Camundongos , Acetil-CoA Carboxilase/metabolismo , Acetil-CoA Carboxilase/genética , Proteínas Adaptadoras de Transdução de Sinal/metabolismo , Proteínas Adaptadoras de Transdução de Sinal/genética , Proteínas de Ciclo Celular/metabolismo , Proteínas de Ciclo Celular/genética , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Fatores de Iniciação em Eucariotos/metabolismo , Fatores de Iniciação em Eucariotos/genética , Ácidos Graxos/metabolismo , Glucose/metabolismo , Alvo Mecanístico do Complexo 1 de Rapamicina/metabolismo , Alvo Mecanístico do Complexo 1 de Rapamicina/genética , NADP/metabolismo , Estresse Oxidativo , Fosfoproteínas/metabolismo , Fosfoproteínas/genética , Biossíntese de ProteínasRESUMO
Oncogenic KRAS is the key driver oncogene for several of the most aggressive human cancers. One key feature of oncogenic KRAS expression is an early increase in cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) which promotes cellular transformation if cells manage to escape cell death, mechanisms of which remain incompletely understood. Here, we identify that expression of oncogenic as compared to WT KRAS in isogenic cellular systems renders cells more resistant to ferroptosis, a recently described type of regulated necrosis. Mechanistically, we find that cells with mutant KRAS show a specific lack of ferroptosis-induced lipid peroxidation. Interestingly, KRAS-mutant cells upregulate expression of ferroptosis suppressor protein 1 (FSP1). Indeed, elevated levels of FSP1 in KRAS-mutant cells are responsible for mediating ferroptosis resistance and FSP1 is upregulated as a consequence of MAPK and NRF2 pathway activation downstream of KRAS. Strikingly, FSP1 activity promotes cellular transformation in soft agar and its overexpression is sufficient to promote spheroid growth in 3D in KRAS WT cells. Moreover, FSP1 expression and its activity in ferroptosis inhibition accelerates tumor onset of KRAS WT cells in the absence of oncogenic KRAS in vivo. Consequently, we find that pharmacological induction of ferroptosis in pancreatic organoids derived from the LsL-KRASG12D expressing mouse model is only effective in combination with FSP1 inhibition. Lastly, FSP1 is upregulated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), colorectal cancer (CRC) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) as compared to the respective normal tissue of origin and correlates with NRF2 expression in PDAC patient datasets. Based on these data, we propose that KRAS-mutant cells must navigate a ferroptosis checkpoint by upregulating FSP1 during tumor establishment. Consequently, ferroptosis-inducing therapy should be combined with FSP1 inhibitors for efficient therapy of KRAS-mutant cancers.
Assuntos
Proteínas Reguladoras de Apoptose , Carcinogênese , Ferroptose , Animais , Humanos , Camundongos , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células não Pequenas/genética , Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático/patologia , Transformação Celular Neoplásica , Neoplasias Pulmonares/genética , Fator 2 Relacionado a NF-E2/genética , Fator 2 Relacionado a NF-E2/metabolismo , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/genética , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/patologia , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas p21(ras)/genética , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas p21(ras)/metabolismo , Proteínas Reguladoras de Apoptose/metabolismo , Neoplasias PancreáticasRESUMO
BACKGROUND: While major advances have been made in improving the quality of life and survival of children with most forms of medulloblastoma (MB), those with MYC-driven tumors (Grp3-MB) still suffer significant morbidity and mortality. There is an urgent need to explore multimodal therapeutic regimens which are effective and safe for children. Large-scale studies have revealed abnormal cancer epigenomes caused by mutations and structural alterations of chromatin modifiers, aberrant DNA methylation, and histone modification signatures. Therefore, targeting epigenetic modifiers for cancer treatment has gained increasing interest, and inhibitors for various epigenetic modulators have been intensively studied in clinical trials. Here, we report a cross-entity, epigenetic drug screen to evaluate therapeutic vulnerabilities in MYC amplified MB, which sensitizes them to macrophage-mediated phagocytosis by targeting the CD47-signal regulatory protein α (SIRPα) innate checkpoint pathway. METHODS: We performed a primary screen including 78 epigenetic inhibitors and a secondary screen including 20 histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) to compare response profiles in atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT, n=11), MB (n=14), and glioblastoma (n=14). This unbiased approach revealed the preferential activity of HDACi in MYC-driven MB. Importantly, the class I selective HDACi, CI-994, showed significant cell viability reduction mediated by induction of apoptosis in MYC-driven MB, with little-to-no activity in non-MYC-driven MB, AT/RT, and glioblastoma in vitro. We tested the combinatorial effect of targeting class I HDACs and the CD47-SIRPa phagocytosis checkpoint pathway using in vitro phagocytosis assays and in vivo orthotopic xenograft models. RESULTS: CI-994 displayed antitumoral effects at the primary site and the metastatic compartment in two orthotopic mouse models of MYC-driven MB. Furthermore, RNA sequencing revealed nuclear factor-kB (NF-κB) pathway induction as a response to CI-994 treatment, followed by transglutaminase 2 (TGM2) expression, which enhanced inflammatory cytokine secretion. We further show interferon-γ release and cell surface expression of engulfment ('eat-me') signals (such as calreticulin). Finally, combining CI-994 treatment with an anti-CD47 mAb targeting the CD47-SIRPα phagocytosis checkpoint enhanced in vitro phagocytosis and survival in tumor-bearing mice. CONCLUSION: Together, these findings suggest a dynamic relationship between MYC amplification and innate immune suppression in MYC amplified MB and support further investigation of phagocytosis modulation as a strategy to enhance cancer immunotherapy responses.
Assuntos
Neoplasias Cerebelares , Glioblastoma , Meduloblastoma , Humanos , Camundongos , Animais , Meduloblastoma/tratamento farmacológico , NF-kappa B/metabolismo , Inibidores de Histona Desacetilases/farmacologia , Inibidores de Histona Desacetilases/uso terapêutico , Proteína 2 Glutamina gama-Glutamiltransferase , Qualidade de Vida , Fagocitose , Macrófagos , Inflamação/metabolismoRESUMO
Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E binding protein 1 (EIF4EBP1) encodes the 4EBP1 protein, a negative regulator of mRNA translation and a substrate of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), whose function and relevance in cancer is still under debate. Here, we analyzed EIF4EBP1 expression in different glioma patient cohorts and investigated its mode of transcriptional regulation in glioblastoma cells. We verified that EIF4EBP1 mRNA is overexpressed in malignant gliomas, including isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-wildtype glioblastomas, relative to non-neoplastic brain tissue in multiple publically available datasets. Our analyses revealed that EIF4EBP1 overexpression in malignant gliomas is neither due to gene amplification nor to altered DNA methylation, but rather results from aberrant transcriptional activation by distinct transcription factors. We found seven transcription factor candidates co-expressed with EIF4EBP1 in gliomas and bound to the EIF4EBP1 promoter, as revealed by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-sequencing data. We investigated the ability of these candidates to activate the EIF4EBP1 promoter using luciferase reporter assays, which supported four transcription factors as candidate EIF4EBP1 regulators, namely MYBL2, ETS1, HIF-1A, and E2F6. Finally, by employing transient knock-down experiments to repress either of these transcription factors, we identified MYBL2 and ETS1 as the relevant transcriptional drivers of enhanced EIF4EBP1 expression in malignant glioma cells. Taken together, our findings confirm enhanced expression of EIF4EBP1 in malignant gliomas relative to non-neoplastic brain tissue and characterize the underlying molecular pathomechanisms.
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Neuroblastoma (NB) accounts for 15% of cancer-related deaths in childhood despite considerable therapeutic improvements. While several risk factors, including MYCN amplification and alterations in RAS and p53 pathway genes, have been defined in NB, the clinical outcome is very variable and difficult to predict. Since genes of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway are upregulated in MYCN-amplified NB, we aimed to define the predictive value of the mTOR substrate-encoding gene eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (EIF4EBP1) expression in NB patients. Using publicly available data sets, we found that EIF4EBP1 mRNA expression is positively correlated with MYCN expression and elevated in stage 4 and high-risk NB patients. In addition, high EIF4EBP1 mRNA expression is associated with reduced overall and event-free survival in the entire group of NB patients in three cohorts, as well as in stage 4 and high-risk patients. This was confirmed by monitoring the clinical value of 4EBP1 protein expression, which revealed that high levels of 4EBP1 are significantly associated with prognostically unfavorable NB histology. Finally, functional analyses revealed that EIF4EBP1 expression is transcriptionally controlled by MYCN binding to the EIF4EBP1 promoter in NB cells. Our data highlight that EIF4EBP1 is a direct transcriptional target of MYCN whose high expression is associated with poor prognosis in NB patients. Therefore, EIF4EBP1 may serve to better stratify patients with NB.
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Most lncRNAs display species-specific expression patterns suggesting that animal models of cancer may only incompletely recapitulate the regulatory crosstalk between lncRNAs and oncogenic pathways in humans. Among these pathways, Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) signaling is aberrantly activated in several human cancer entities. We unravel that aberrant expression of the primate-specific lncRNA HedgeHog Interacting Protein-AntiSense 1 (HHIP-AS1) is a hallmark of SHH-driven tumors including medulloblastoma and atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors. HHIP-AS1 is actively transcribed from a bidirectional promoter shared with SHH regulator HHIP. Knockdown of HHIP-AS1 induces mitotic spindle deregulation impairing tumorigenicity in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, HHIP-AS1 binds directly to the mRNA of cytoplasmic dynein 1 intermediate chain 2 (DYNC1I2) and attenuates its degradation by hsa-miR-425-5p. We uncover that neither HHIP-AS1 nor the corresponding regulatory element in DYNC1I2 are evolutionary conserved in mice. Taken together, we discover an lncRNA-mediated mechanism that enables the pro-mitotic effects of SHH pathway activation in human tumors.
Assuntos
Neoplasias Cerebelares , Meduloblastoma , MicroRNAs , RNA Longo não Codificante , Animais , Proteínas de Transporte/metabolismo , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células , Neoplasias Cerebelares/genética , Dineínas/metabolismo , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Proteínas Hedgehog/genética , Proteínas Hedgehog/metabolismo , Humanos , Meduloblastoma/genética , Glicoproteínas de Membrana/metabolismo , Camundongos , MicroRNAs/genética , RNA Longo não Codificante/genéticaRESUMO
Ets-1 is a transcription factor that plays an important role in various physiological and pathological processes, such as development, angiogenesis, apoptosis and tumour invasion. In the present study, we have demonstrated that Ets-1 p51, but not the spliced variant Ets-1 p42, is processed in a caspase-dependent manner in Jurkat T-leukaemia cells undergoing apoptosis, resulting in three C-terminal fragments Cp20, Cp17 and Cp14 and a N-terminal fragment, Np36. In vitro cleavage of Ets-1 p51 by caspase 3 produces fragments consistent with those observed in cells undergoing apoptosis. These fragments are generated by cleavage at three sites located in the exon VII-encoded region of Ets-1 p51. This region is absent from the Ets-1 p42 isoform, which therefore cannot be cleaved by caspases. In Ets-1 p51, cleavage generates C-terminal fragments containing the DNA-binding domain, but lacking the transactivation domain. The Cp17 fragment, the major cleavage product generated during apoptosis, is devoid of transcriptional activity and inhibits Ets-1 p51-mediated transactivation of target genes by competing with Ets-1 p51 for binding to Ets-binding sites present in the target promoters. In the present study, we have demonstrated that caspase cleavage of Ets-1 within the exon VII-encoded region leads to specific down-regulation of the Ets-1 p51 isoform during apoptosis. Furthermore, our results establish that caspase cleavage generates a stable C-terminal fragment that acts as a natural dominant-negative form of the full-length Ets-1 p51 protein.
Assuntos
Caspase 3/metabolismo , Processamento de Proteína Pós-Traducional , Proteína Proto-Oncogênica c-ets-1/metabolismo , Ativação Transcricional , Motivos de Aminoácidos , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Caspase 3/genética , Linhagem Celular , Humanos , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Mutação , Ligação Proteica , Isoformas de Proteínas/química , Isoformas de Proteínas/genética , Isoformas de Proteínas/metabolismo , Proteína Proto-Oncogênica c-ets-1/química , Proteína Proto-Oncogênica c-ets-1/genética , Alinhamento de SequênciaRESUMO
The Stromelysin-1 gene promoter contains a palindrome of two Ets-binding sites (EBS) that bind the p51 and p42 isoforms of the human Ets-1-transcription factor. A previous study established that full gene transactivation is associated with a ternary complex consisting of two p51 bound to the two EBS on the promoter. p42, only able to bind one of the two EBS, induces only very weak activity. Here, we investigate the mechanism by which the Stromelysin-1 promoter discriminates between p51 and p42. The differential stoichiometry of the two Ets-1 isoforms arises from the Stromelysin-1 EBS palindrome. The ternary complex requires the presence of two inhibitory domains flanking the DNA-binding domain and the ability to form an intramolecular autoinhibition module. Most importantly, the p51-ternary and the p42-binary complexes induce DNA curvatures with opposite orientations. These results establish that differential DNA bending, via p51 and p42 differential binding, is correlated with the Stromelysin-1 promoter activation process.
Assuntos
DNA/química , Metaloproteinase 3 da Matriz/genética , Regiões Promotoras Genéticas , Proteína Proto-Oncogênica c-ets-1/metabolismo , Ativação Transcricional , Sítios de Ligação , Humanos , Modelos Moleculares , Conformação de Ácido Nucleico , Isoformas de Proteínas/química , Isoformas de Proteínas/metabolismo , Estrutura Terciária de Proteína , Proteína Proto-Oncogênica c-ets-1/químicaRESUMO
Glioblastoma is the most common malignant primary brain tumor. To date, clinically relevant biomarkers are restricted to isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) gene 1 or 2 mutations and O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to contribute to glioblastoma pathogenesis and could potentially serve as novel biomarkers. The clinical significance of HOXA Transcript Antisense RNA, Myeloid-Specific 1 (HOTAIRM1) was determined by analyzing HOTAIRM1 in multiple glioblastoma gene expression data sets for associations with prognosis, as well as, IDH mutation and MGMT promoter methylation status. Finally, the role of HOTAIRM1 in glioblastoma biology and radiotherapy resistance was characterized in vitro and in vivo. We identified HOTAIRM1 as a candidate lncRNA whose up-regulation is significantly associated with shorter survival of glioblastoma patients, independent from IDH mutation and MGMT promoter methylation. Glioblastoma cell line models uniformly showed reduced cell viability, decreased invasive growth and diminished colony formation capacity upon HOTAIRM1 down-regulation. Integrated proteogenomic analyses revealed impaired mitochondrial function and determination of reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels confirmed increased ROS levels upon HOTAIRM1 knock-down. HOTAIRM1 knock-down decreased expression of transglutaminase 2 (TGM2), a candidate protein implicated in mitochondrial function, and knock-down of TGM2 mimicked the phenotype of HOTAIRM1 down-regulation in glioblastoma cells. Moreover, HOTAIRM1 modulates radiosensitivity of glioblastoma cells both in vitro and in vivo. Our data support a role for HOTAIRM1 as a driver of biological aggressiveness, radioresistance and poor outcome in glioblastoma. Targeting HOTAIRM1 may be a promising new therapeutic approach.